What is Free Cakes for Kids Lambeth?
Free Cakes for Kids Lambeth is a community service to families who find it difficult to provide a birthday cake for their child. A birthday cake is baked by local volunteers with the child’s favourite theme. The cake is then delivered to the family.
Who is eligible?
Any child who would not otherwise receive a birthday cake is eligible. This may be due to financial reasons, but could also be due to circumstances (e.g. young carers, etc.). We have no strict criteria on age, and we are happy to provide a cake for an adult who may not otherwise receive one and would welcome referrals from care homes, day centres, over sixty clubs etc. If the child/family lives outside the area, please get in touch – we may still be able to help or pass the details on to another local Free Cakes for Kids group.
It sounds a good scheme, but why are you telling me about the service?
Families can refer themselves to receive a cake, but we do like to work with organisations such as yours to provide a referral. So, you could tell a family you work with about Free Cakes for Kids or you could refer a family and provide the information we need so we can help you arrange a surprise cake for the child and their family.
What will the cake be like and how will it be delivered?
The cake can be simple and delicious or creative and ornate, our bakers are dedicated but are not professionals, we will try to match the baker’s skills and interests with the brief for the cake. We do not cook with nuts, however the bakers may have nuts in their kitchens. We also take food safety very seriously and all our volunteers sign a food safety agreement. The cake will be delivered by a local volunteer direct to the family or to you so you can present it to the child.
I know some children that I want to arrange a cake for, how do I make a referral?
Please fill out our contact us form on our contact page and we will be in touch with the referral form and further info for you.
What information is required for a referral?
Firstly we need to know what date the cake is required for. We also like to know what interests the child has so we can personalize the cake for them. We can also add their name and age to the cake. We have a strict ‘no nuts’ policy, but please let us know if the child you are referring has any specific dietary requirements (e.g. gluten free, dairy free, allergy to colourings, etc.).
How much notice do you require?
If you can give us one to two weeks’ notice that is perfect for us, but we will always try to do our best to help even on a shorter deadline.
Here is what we do in six simple steps: